Asparagus proving profitable in Caoxian

JINAN — With the onset of asparagus season, factories in Caoxian county, Shandong province, are operating at full capacity to sort and process the crisp vegetable.

Once processed, canned asparagus is shipped to dining tables across the globe to be enjoyed as a delectable side dish.

Benefiting from exceptional cultivation conditions, Caoxian asparagus is classified as a geographical indication product.

According to Zhou Changsheng, manager of a processing company in the county, asparagus is its leading export product, with annual shipments of the canned variety approximating 11,000 metric tons. Caoxian's canned white asparagus is primarily exported to Europe and Southeast Asia, Zhou said. Apart from being made canned, asparagus from the county has also been used to create a variety of delicacies.

In a test field at an asparagus farm, numerous varieties are breaking through the soil. They are given poetic names — such as Emerald, Moonlight over the Lotus Pond and Snow White — for their distinctive flavor and appearance.

According to the head of the farm's research and development department, a wide variety of refined, processed products are made from these asparagus varieties, including tea, juice and beer.

Currently, Caoxian plants 13,333 hectares of asparagus and produces 180,000 tons of it. It has 24 asparagus processing companies with an annual processing capacity of 190,000 tons, which generate annual export revenues of $200 million dollars.

Xinhua